Senseis and Students
by Kira-Reen
Summary: This is a prelude to my fic Way of a Shinobi, but can be read as a standalone...Chapter 2: Kazuma Arashi was only 17...but he had already done and seen so much...and now he has a student...
1. A new student

Chapter One: Senseis and Students

(A/N: This fic is a prelude to mi other Naruto fanfic, the Way of A Shinobi…this chap is mostly from Sandaime's POV…Kakashi and Kazuma Arashi, the future Yondaime, meet next chapter, so stay tuned. Please read and review. To my reviewers: thanks very much

for reviewing…especially to daniel-gundam for pointing out the language misuse.)

Raindrops pelted the Hidden Village of Leaf as its inhabitants stirred awake. The shinobi who had been on night shift guarding Konoha headed home for a deserved rest as their compatriots took their places. All in all, it was a normal day in Konoha.

Sandaime looked out the window at the awakening village at sighed. Konoha looked peaceful but it was far from that. They had been at war for more than half a decade now and the strains were beginning to show already. The children being enrolled in the Academy were getting younger in age and greater in number.

Must it come to this? Sending our children to defend us? What would you have done, Nidaime, Shodaime?

For forty years he had worn the mantle of the Fire Shadow of Konoha. Forty years in which he had seen countless villagers grow up, have their own children and summarily leave the world. During that time, he had seen many of his comrades fall, legends and rookies alike. More would fall in the coming years, of that he was sure.

Sarutobi sighed wearily as he was reminded of his age. Soon, he would have to appoint a successor. He glanced at one of the photos on his table.

A (much) younger him stood towering above three young genin. The first was a pale-skinned, dark-haired, very serious-looking boy who was looking at the camera nonchalantly. Ah…Orochimaru…what dreams I had for you.

In the middle was a spunky blonde girl with her tongue stuck out. He grinned at that; Tsunade had never been one to care about others' opinions.

The third and most troublesome of his students was a white-haired boy with black lines running down from his eyes…Jiraiya. Who would have guessed that out that Genin team the clumsy rebel would have made an excellent sensei?

And yes, Jiraiya was a good sensei, despite the fact that only two of his team had lived to make it to Jounin and only one of them was still alive. The latter was his first scheduled visitor for the day.

A knock came on his door. He glanced at the clock-it was 7am.

How like you Arashi-kun to be right on time. You are so different from your sensei.

"Enter." He said, sensing the presence of familiar chakra outside the door. It opened immediately to reveal a grinning blonde teenager.

"Ohayo, Hokage-sama!"

And yet you are so alike him in many ways…

The boy had certainly inherited Jiraiya's outgoing nature and generous heart…if with a larger dose of propriety than his mentor had. Still, it was just the combination he needed the boy for.

"Ah…ohayo, Arashi-kun. Take a seat. I hear you did an excellent job on your last mission. You are turning out to be a fine field commander", he commended the boy, gesturing to him to take a seat.

"Iya, Hokage-sama. It was not hard. Besides, I am still young. I have much to learn", the blonde replied with a slight bow before sitting down.

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at that.

Truly, Jiraiya…only a student of yours could call an A-rank infiltration mission 'not hard'.

"Humility is a good virtue, Arashi-kun. But learning to accept compliments is another", he reprimanded the boy gently.

The seventeen-year old blushed at that as he lowered his head.

"Mah…mah…but that is not what I called you here to talk about", he said, smiling as he watched the boy straighten his back and narrow his eyes.

"You know that the latest batch of Academy recruits are graduating, yes?"

"Aaa", the boy assented, slight puzzlement coloring his features.

Sandaime smiled again as he inwardly prayed forgiveness from the gods for what he was to do next.

"You also know that the age limit for Academy students has been lowered to five?"

"Hai. But Hokage-sama I feel-"

"I am aware of your feelings on the matter Arashi", he cut the jounin off. Arashi nodded and subsided. He had ardently protested against the lowering of age limits earlier this year. If children joined the Academy at five, they would graduate at nine. Arashi himself had graduated at that age, so it might have seemed hypocritical of him to protest.

Then again, as someone who had graduated at a very young age and who had had teammates similar to him, Arashi had a unique perspective on things. He knew, more than anyone else, the psychological effects of pushing a young child into the war. Some, like him, would come out of it for the better. While others, like his late teammate Reakka, would be driven to emotional and mental instability. To kill another person was like banishing a part of your own soul. Over time, it grew easier until eventually one could do it without thinking or hesitating at all.

Shinobi were required to gain this 'skill', this dulling of their conscience. But no matter how emotionlessly or skillfully one took another's life, the cost was always the same. Many a ninja had been driven to madness by this very essential part of their job.

The younger ones were more prone to it. Children rarely knew what they were fighting for; a child could always be taught the many ways to stop a person's heart or snap his neck but they could never be given a reason to kill. You could not teach a person the why of killing, only the how. Eventually, this question haunted every shinobi, and in the case of those who could not find an answer…the consequences were tragic.

Every life Arashi took had left a mark on his soul. But for all his youth, Arashi had a clear purpose. He killed for the most sacred, perhaps the only justifiable, reason; he killed to protect. He served his village as a ninja out of loyalty, yes. But also because he wanted to protect the village that had sheltered him and given him a home when he had been alone and in need of protection himself.

As such, he was exactly the person Sandaime needed.

"In fact, you might say that your opinion on that matter is precisely why I have chosen you for this."

"But, Hokage-sama…" Arashi trailed off.

"As a jounin, you are well aware of our situation!" he said sharply.

"Hai", he could not deny the truth. Konoha, to put it crudely, was in deep shit. They had been fighting a long drawn out war for six years now with Stone. Their troops were weary and their numbers greatly decreased. His latest mission had been a success only in the most technical of senses. The infiltration of Hidden Cloud had only gained the worrisome news of their prospective alliance with Stone. Konoha was definitely in trouble.

"In special cases, the age limit for Genin has been waived, as you well know."

Arashi simply nodded; he did not like the direction this conversation was taking.

"This year, among all the Academy graduates, there is an outstanding student. Due to his age, I cannot and will not put him with a Genin team. Thus, I have a problem in my hands."

Arashi's eyes widened…he definitely did not like the direction this was heading in.

"That, is where you come in. Kazuma Arashi, I am offering you the position of a Jounin-sensei. As a sensei, your duty is to pass on the skills you have learned to your Genin team and to ensure their survival. Do you accept?"

Arashi blinked. Once. Twice. Repeat. Blink. This was not happening to him. He was too young. He opened his mouth to say exactly that.

Sandaime waved him off.

"Before you can say it, Arashi-kun, you are not too young. My only concern previously was that you would be too close in age to your team to be able to command, and more importantly, teach them effectively. That is no longer valid."

Sandaime watched the boy squirm for a while more, smirking to himself.

Your student is more like you than I thought Jiraiya…he even squirms the same way!

"Well, Arashi. Do you accept? I don't have all day you know!" he injected a little humor into his voice.

"But, Sandaime-sama…" Arashi did something he had not done in a while. He whined.

Sarutobi merely raised an eyebrow again. His eyebrows had not had this much exercise since he was a sensei himself.

Arashi exhaled loudly, composing himself with the action. He was sure he was going to regret his next words.

"Hai. I accept."

"Ah, that is good. The graduates are gathering at the Academy in class 403 two days from today at 7. You are required to be there at 8 to pick him up. For now, as your team only consists of yourself and the boy, you will be doing only C and D-rank missions; additions will be made later on. I wish you good luck!"

(A/N: Due to the war, Genins have been required to do B-rank missions with their senseis…)

Arashi accepted that with a sullen face. A thought occurred to him.

"Hokage-sama, what is the boy's name?"

Sandaime grinned widely. "You already know him, Arashi-kun".

"I do?"

"Hai. He is Sakumo-san's son."

Arashi frowned at that. Sakumo had, if he remembered, correctly only a son by the name of Takashi who happened to be a friend of Arashi's.

"Takashi? But he's already a Chuunin! And he's in the ANBU!"

"Iya. Your pupil is Takashi's otouto-Hatake Kakashi. Takashi was killed earlier this year."

Enlightenment, and grief, dawned on Arashi's face. Oh yes, now he remembered. Takashi had a younger brother. He'd seen the kid at the funeral. How could he have forgotten Takashi's death? It said something about a guy when he forgot a comrade's death. And Takashi had been far more than a comrade. They had gone through the Academy together and graduated at the same time. Takashi had been the same age as him. How many more of his too few friends would he lose in this war? Despair clawed at him and threatened to drag him down and drown him. He resisted.

Not here, not now. Focus. The boy…remember…

Ah yes. The boy. He had been too young. Not more than five if he remembered.

"Hokage-sama, how old is he?"

"The details are all in here", the Hokage handed Arashi a single brown file. "I have to go now. Please remember to turn up for the meeting Arashi."

Arashi accepted the subtle dismissal, took the file and left. He later realized that the Third had deftly avoided the question.

A/N:This is just a one-shot that attacked me while i was writing chapter 3 of way of a shinobi...this evil plot bunny refused to go away so i set it down...it might have a companion if i get writer's block again...i like writing yondaime simply because its impossible to go OOC with him...hee. Oh yes...since you are here...you must be a naruto fan...so go read Way of a Shinobi/end pimping


	2. Only Seventeen

Chapter 2-Only Seventeen

(A/N: Argh…somehow this one-shot has turned into another fic since im now writing chapter 2…this is a prelude to mi fic way of a shinobi and is about Arashi and Kakashi. While WOTS is mainly from Kaka's POV, this fic is from Arashi's, as there are very few out there that actually explore, in depth, the Fourth Hokage…hope it's alright…please read and review…)

Kazuma Arashi was seventeen. But for a 17-year old, he was extremely accomplished in his chosen field. He was a Jounin for 3 years now. And despite the normal route that so-called genius shinobi, as they had labeled him, took, he had never joined the ANBU.

Assassinations had never been his cup of tea, and never would be, he preferred to take on his opponents with honor, and for a reason other than money. Oh, he had no compulsions at all about killing, not after spending his whole life wanting to be a shinobi and than becoming one. He just didn't want to take another's life without knowing the cause. It had to be done, yes. And some might call him a coward for not putting his skills to full use. But knowing your own strengths was also a virtue, and he knew that such a life was not for him.

Arashi had earned his name, not under the cloak of darkness and silent swift silencings, but on the dusty chaotic battlefield, amid tortured screams and burning flesh, surviving only with his wits and pure skill. It was much harder to kill a man when you were looking him in the eye and the realization that you were about to end it reflected in his.

Still, he was 17. And that was a complicated age. Most seventeen year olds were caught between the youthfulness of sweet sixteen, and the sobering adult age of 18. Most of them would have just begun to make conscious, responsible choices for themselves, free of influence from peers and parents. They would just begin to be trusted by others and given leadership positions.

Arashi was far from being in that group. He had been a leader, in every sense of the word, since his 1st mission as a Chuunin, more than half a decade ago. He had lost 2 Genin then. It had made him seriously rethink his priorities.

He had worked hard, training obsessively for hours, perfecting his jutsu and poring over scrolls as he invented new ones. His best, and most well-known, was also one which he would never pass on to another, Shunshin no Jutsu. It was also why enemies of trembled at the mention of Konoha's Yellow Flash. Thus, Kazuma Arashi had stepped out of his Sannin mentor's shadow and shaken off the title of "Jiraiya's student".

But he was 17. And standing there in front of so many other Jounin, all much older than him, in front of the newly graduated Genin, most of who were only 6 or 7 years younger than him, he felt uneasy and out of place. His place was on the battlefield, doing what he did best, commanding troops. It was not here, in a classroom, teaching others what he had barely begun to understand himself. It was not that Arashi did not want to be here-he would be lying if he did not admit to looking forward to this. Most of his closest bonds had been formed with his teammates and sensei-Jiraiya had been the father he had never known, and Reakka and Kurei had been his brothers, in every way. He had been devastated at both their deaths.

Today though, he had a chance to create a new bond. It might not and possibly never be, akin to the one he and Jiraiya shared, but it would be something. And as an orphan, he had learned early in life to treasure any bond.

Even so, he felt that it was inappropriate for a Jounin as young as him, even one who had become the youngest Elite Jounin in Konoha's history, to become a sensei. A sensei, had to be someone like Jiraiya, or Sandaime, who had been a ninja long enough to understand what it truly meant to be a ninja. Arashi was still forming his own opinions on the topic. He didn't think it was a good idea for him to try and pass on his dubious musings on the topic to another. He felt like a shuriken being used to carve a piece if wood. So, he acted as most teenagers did in uncomfortable situations, he fidgeted.

It probably was not very noticeable to the untrained eye-he _was _a Jounin after all. But it was in little, nearly imperceptible, gestures such as the noiseless tapping of his right ring finger against his folded left forearm, and the way his eyes darted all around the room, skimming the faces of the students but not really focusing. He looked everywhere and nowhere, relaxing only when a familiar pirate patch-wearing Chuunin-sensei finished the roster called and silenced the Genin with a single gesture. The Genin were going to be briefed, as a class, by their teacher, for the last time.

He fidgeted, noticeably this time, as the sudden silence of the classroom put him even more on the edge. No class full of 9-12 year olds should be able to _be _so quiet. They were children goddammit. And even though Arashi knew that stealth and instant obedience were qualities that would undoubtedly save many of these kids' lives in the years ahead, a part of him was enraged at the perfect shinobi Konoha had molded them into. An even more irrational part was disgusted at himself for serving such an institution. He wondered how he could fight to protect Konoha as he did, while questioning and disagreeing with its leadership so much. But, he supposed that that was what it meant to be a shinobi-you put your feelings, doubts, and everything else aside when you were on mission and carried out your village's bidding unquestioningly.

The guilt pangs and sleepless nights could be dealt with later. And even worse than that, were the long periods of mind-numbing dazedness when many a shinobi simply went through the motions when on mission. Most ninjas eventually lost all sense of self-identity and drifted through life, only truly living when they had a mission to do. When it all became too much to handle, all he had to do was walk through the streets of Konoha to be reminded of what he fought for. But that was the problem. Most ninjas weren't him.

A smile on the face of a passerby, a giggle from a young child, these were all he needed. He had been an orphan, from a neighboring village, thrown to the wilds when his village had been wiped out by pestilence. The survivors had been unable, and unwilling, to support a young toddler. They had saddled him on a traveling team of Genin who had had too large hearts for their own sakes.

Konoha had been more than willing to take him in. In times of war, civilians often fled and it was hard to fight a war without well-trained shinobi. It was impossible to train skilled shinobi when the population they were drawn from dwindled. So, from the day he had set foot in here, his fate as a shinobi had been ascertained.

Arashi slipped out of his reverie as he sensed the sensei drawing close to the end of his speech. He smiled as Oishii-sensei said the same words he had told him 8 years ago. Some things never changed.

_Kazuma Arashi shifted in his seat nervously, his eyes completely intent on the green haired, one-eyed Chuunin in front. Oishii-sensei was winding down and would announce team arrangements and sensei assignments soon._

_"Class, I have taught most of you for 2 years, some for more. Today, you have all graduated from the Academy and are proud shinobi of Konoha. The tough part though, has just begun. As Genin, you will have certain responsibilities, to your village, to your teammates, and to your conscience. As you advance in, these responsibilities will only increase. As you all know, Konoha is in a state of war right now. Many of you will be heading out to the battlefield in near future, with little time for training and preparation. _

_While I am, naturally aware that I am passing you on into capable hands, let me impart to you one final piece of wisdom, not as your sensei, but as your comrade. In the real world, rules rarely apply, and the unexpected always happens. Many a time, you will be called on to do things that seem questionable and you will do these things because you are ordered to. Can you kill a child, younger than yourself, if he or she turns out to be an enemy Nin? My conscience says no, but my heart knows better. Konoha is our home and we protect it from whoever threatens it. I know it is not as simple as that, but in conclusion, let me remind you of Konoha's Shinobi pledge. _

_We pledge our lives in service of a greater cause. Though we may do what many would not. Though we may do what we would rather not. Though souls be stained and sentenced to the blight in the process. Still, we serve. For this, is our calling, and this, is our life. To serve with valor and to die with honor", silence fell as the teacher spoke it, and the thus far aloof Jounin standing at the corners were now intent on the sensei, their manner serious._

"_This pledge was set down on the Memorial Stone by Shodaime at the founding of this hidden village. I hope that it serves as comfort and as a reminder to all of you in the years to come. Now, I will announce the team arrangements. Team 1-"_

_Arashi's brow furrowed. He was disturbed by the example Oishii-sensei had given. Could he kill a little girl? Could he even kill anyone? Doubt began to fester, but with the willful cheerfulness of a 9-year old, he swept it away. Of course he could kill another shinobi. He would protect the village with his own two hands, because it had been kind to him. Besides, he had been trained by Yamagata Oishii, and everyone knew he was the best Academy teacher. He hoped he got a good sensei. And even if he didn't, he would still train hard and become Hokage!_

_"Team eleven. Kazuma Arashi-", the boy snapped out of his day-dreaming as his name was called._

_"-Johei Reakka, Tenzo Kurei. Sensei, Jiriaya", Oishii-sensei called out his new teammates. A porcupine-haired old man beckoned at the three of them and Arashi followed, excitement filling him. Jiraiya! His sensei was one the Sannin. The boy frowned. Even if the Sannin in question was a notorious pervert, and slacker. Oh well, still, he **had **studied under the Sandaime himself, so…Besides, he could always become Hokage by working hard. After all, who needed a sensei?_

The memory brought a slight smile to Arashi's lips. How young and how foolish he had been. Thinking he could ever become Hokage. He shook his head at the naivety of his younger self. To be Hokage, you had to have connections; you had to be extremely outstanding. That dream, had vanished with age, even if his drive and ambition to succeed still burned bright.

He scanned the room purposefully this time, looking for the trademark silver hair of the Hatake clan. His sharp eyes finally spotted a tuft of grey hair poking out of the crowd. The kid was short, very short. Students began streaming down to meet their senseis before going to their meeting place. Soon, the room was empty, except for Oishii, Arashi and Kakashi. Arashi and Kakashi looked at each other.

Kakashi was, as he remembered, a tiny thing, who probably came no higher than his waist. Black eyes stared out at him from the adorable face of a child. Silver hair stood up straight in unruly spikes, much like Arashi's own blonde spikes. The boy was solemn and serious, studying him with an air of indifference as he too took stock of his own sensei. Arashi smiled widely at the kid, attempting to break the ice.

Kakashi looked at the grinning idiot in front of him. Calm azure eyes met his judgmental black ones with confidence. Blonde, spiky hair, framed the man's face. He was not tall for an adult, and Kakashi, short as he was, reached the other's waist. He wore the typical Jounin vest over a long-sleeved black shirt and black pants. The only questionable things about him were his dark red gloves. Kakashi wondered why on earth a Jounin would wear colored gloves. A thought hit him. The gloves were the same color as blood. Was it possible that the gloves had once been black?

"Is that blood on your gloves?"

Arashi did a double-take at that question. Of the things he had expected his student to ask him…

"Ah…Iya. It is dark red."

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you wearing dark red gloves?" Kakashi demanded, propriety bedamned. He didn't care that he was shouting at his new sensei. He **had **to know why a _Jounin _would be wearing silly gloves. It didn't make sense.

Arashi scratched the back of his head in a nervous gesture. This was not going the way he had planned.

Kakashi's mind worked furiously until it came up with another plausible reason. "Are they red so you don't have to wash the blood off later?"

Arashi's eyes widened at that. What was it with his new pupil and blood? Seriously, the kid was scaring him.

"Iya. I just…erm…like the color", he said with a nervous laugh.

"But why?"

"Well, erm…" he looked to Oishii-sensei who was watching them intently, silently pleading the older man for help. Oishii smirked at Arashi. Arashi sent a mock glare at the Chuunin direction.

"Are you really a Jounin?" Arashi blinked at the query.

"Well, you don't really look like one to me. Aniki was a Jounin. He looked like one", the boy said stubbornly.

"I knew him". The child looked up at that. "He was…a friend and a good comrade". Kakashi drew a sharp breath at that. Arashi looked on helplessly as the boy's face crumpled, his eyes flicked to Oishii. Surprisingly, the man came forward this time.

"Come Kakashi-kun. Let me introduce you to your sensei, ne?" the boy nodded numbly. _He knew Takashi-nii. _But Onii-san wasn't here anymore. And Otou-san was barely home at all. And he was stuck with this weird guy for the time being. _But he **knew**__Aniki. _If his new sensei really had fought alongside his late older brother, than he must be good, right? So maybe, maybe this wouldn't be too bad.

But the ache in his chest, it refused to go away. The death of his brother was still raw. Takashi been his closest friend, father figure and mentor all rolled into one. _But he's dead. _And that was why Kakashi had asked his father to let him take the Exams, after just 8 months at the Academy.

"Kazuma Arashi, meet Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi-kun, meet Kazuma Arashi, your sensei".

Kakashi bowed to the older boy. "Yoroshiku". Arashi said the same thing before he bowed to Oishii. "Arigato, Oishii-sensei", he said respectfully.

"Come, Kakashi-kun. Let us go to the training grounds and get acquainted. I want to know how much you have learned".

A/N:Okies...that was an abrupt ending...fic will continue when i stop writing chap 8 of WOS...pls r and r if u guys like it! Oh yes...on another note, can someone clarify this Iya and Iie thing? Cus this reviewer told me Iie is rude and Iya is the proper version of no. but me friend who takes jap as a o lvl subject told me Iie is the proper form and Iya jus has a more violent connotation. Oh man...mebbe i sld jus use No...or get a jap dictionary...


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